During her presentation of Part II of the 2022 Student Success & Equity Summit of the Spring President’s Lecture Series on April 8, Dr. Tia Brown McNair highlighted the significance of building relationships with students as one of the main components of academic success and closing equity gaps. 

She pointed to UHD’s efforts, noting she’s impressed with the direction the University is heading with the implementation of the UHD Institutional Compass developed by President Loren J. Blanchard. The core values stressed through that initiative are strengthening justice, empowering student success and equity, supporting institutional excellence and infrastructure, and positioning UHD as an anchor institution.

“I love the connection that UHD is making in students’ lives,” said McNair, pointing out that it’s a sign of the University’s commitment to the Institutional Compass and its Four Points of Excellence. “Students are affected the most when we are sharing our own stories with them – it’s the number one reason for student success.”

McNair noted that as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), UHD needs to continue to be innovative in serving the diverse needs of the University’s more than 15,000 students.

“You serve a wide population of students from many different backgrounds,” she said. “It is necessary to be adaptable and flexible to meet students where they are while making those personal connections. In doing so, you will positively influence their lives and create a culture for success academically and into the professional world after graduation.”

In addition to McNair’s presentation, the day-long event included several topic-related sessions, including a panel discussion about serving students at a diverse institution as well as breakout sessions related to financial aid, career readiness, student success, and many other academic-related topics.

McNair is Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success, and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. She oversees both funded projects and the organization’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success.

Additionally, McNair directs the Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several organizational initiatives. She is the lead author of “From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education” and “Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success.” In 2020, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education named McNair one of 35 outstanding women who have tackled some of higher education’s toughest challenges and made a positive difference in their communities. 

Part I of the Summit featured award-winning educator Dr. Timothy Renick, who addressed ways institutions can bridge equity gaps to increase student success in his presentation, “Inclusive Excellence, the Way Forward: Recommitting To Student Success.”  

The President’s Lecture Series on Justice, Equity & Inclusion began in 2021 addressing topics such as health equity among communities of color, organizational diversity, and the impact of climate change in Houston. The series is supported by a $75,000 grant from the ECMC Foundation and sponsored by the UHD Office of the Provost.